Loek Hartog pulls Ollie Millroy from burning Ferrari during Shanghai race

Dutch racing driver Loek Hartog pulled Britain’s Ollie Millroy from a burning Ferrari during a China GT Championship race in Shanghai after stopping his own car to help. BBC Sport reported that Hartog used a fire extinguisher on the flames before dragging Millroy clear of the wreckage during Saturday’s event.

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Millroy credited Hartog with saving his life in an Instagram post from hospital. He said no flag marshals or fire crews were in sight when the Dutchman stopped and intervened. Millroy also said he could not remember the period beginning about 30 seconds before the crash and ending roughly an hour afterward.

The British driver said he sustained five broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a broken hand, a broken finger and a bruised lung. While describing the list of injuries, Millroy added that the outcome could have been much worse. He thanked Hartog for what he called a selfless act and said he would tell their three children about the rescue.

Hartog said on Instagram that he saw a car turn into a fireball ahead of him and believed its driver might not be able to escape without assistance. He said there was no real decision to make, although the rescue was frightening and included moments when he was unsure whether he could free Millroy. Hartog also played down his own role, saying he believed many people would have reacted similarly.

AAI Motorsport, Millroy’s team, issued a statement saying it would no longer enter races organised by China GT. The team alleged that the Ferrari continued burning for more than a minute and that timely, effective firefighting and rescue operations were not visible. It accused the organisers of negligence and said that, while motorsport carries inherent dangers, avoidable exposure to death was unacceptable.

China GT organisers said they would review and investigate the accident. Their statement promised more comprehensive plans to address shortcomings in competition organisation, support, emergency response, rescue and medical services. The organisers’ response acknowledged areas for examination, while the specific criticisms and negligence allegation remained claims made by AAI Motorsport in the immediate aftermath of the crash.